Blank-sorting machine



July 17, 1923.

W. C. vSI'H'EVVFI" BLANK soRTING MACHINE Filed Deo. P7. 1921 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented duly 17, 1923,

narran learner WILLIAM C. STEWART, OF SWiJlPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BLANK-SORTING MACHINE.

`Applicationfiled December 27, 1921.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it vknown that l, VVILLniM C. STEWART, a subject of the King of England, residing,l at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in` Blank-Sorting Machines, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the severalifigures.

This invention relates to machines for sorting articles in accordance with the extent of one of their dimensions and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for sortingV heel lifts in accordance with their thicknesses.

lt is desirable in the manufacture of shoes to sort heel lifts into groups the members of which have the same thickness so as to facilitate the subsequent evening, compressing or heel building),` operations. Hitherto machines used for this purpose have contained complicated mechanism and have been comparatively slow in operation; and the general object of the present invention is to produce a simply constructed machine which shall operate rapidly.

The illustrative machine-comprises a series of trap doors upon which blanks may be placed successively, a series of pressers and means for moving the pressers toward and from the blanks, thepaths of the pressers being' so located that each presseryis adapted to press upon a thicker blank than is the succeeding presser. The thickness of any `giveii blank thus determines whether it shall be pressed against the trapdoor upon which it rests. Each door is normally in closed position but is opened by pressure so as to permit the blank to slide from olf it into a receptacle. A machine `of this kind may be simply constructed and is capable of sorting a large number of blanks in a short time since, with the usual run of lifts, which differ considerably in thickness, several lifts are ordinarily being' delivered simultaneously into their respective receptacles.

These and other features of the invention, including; certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will be described as embodied in an illustrative machine and pointed out in the appended claims y Serial No. 525,053.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the machine, the receptacles for receiving the blanks having been omitted;

Fig. 2 is a side eleva-tion;

Fig. 3 is a plan.

Mounted at the top of a hollow column 5 is a supporting member 7 circular in outline and having formed in it a series of openings, each of a size to permit alift to pass through it. Associated with each opening is a closurein the form of a trap door 10 pivoted at 11 to the supporting member and normally held in closed `position bya catch 13. The catch is in the form of a springpressed pin having in its end a notch 15 to received a projiection 17 formed on yone end of the door. llfith this construction it will be apparent that if pressure is applied downwardly upon a door when it is in. closed position, the door will be swung into open posi* tion as indicated at the left hand side of Fig. 1. Resting upon the supporting niember 7 and held` from upward movement by gibs 8 is a rotatable carrier 19 in the form of a disk having' formed in it a series of open ings 21 which are spaced apart the same distance as are the openings 9 in the supporting member. This carrier disk has formed upon it an internal gear QS'which meshes with a pinion 25, the pinion being rotated intermittently by mechanisinp'resently to be de` scribed so that the openings Q1 in the carrier are caused to `be'positioned intermittently above the trap doors 10 the direction of rotation of the `carrier l19 being indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. The 'lifts are placed one by one duringY the pauses in the rintermit'tent feed in whatever openinpPv 21 in the carrier 19 which occupies the `position of the one which is at the top of Fig. 3 and then, as the carrier is rotated in a clock# wise direction, the lifts are positionedsuc` cessively upon the trap doors. Located above the trap doors are a series of pressers each comprising a mushroom-shaped head` Q7 and a pin 29 which projects through the head, said pin being held yieldingly in its lowermost position by a spring 31 Ilocated in the stem of the presser. presser is threaded through an opening in an arm 37 of a reciprocating head 39 and rThe stem of each` has fast at its upper end by means of a screw 33 and a plate 34 a collar 4l. This collar has vertical grooves any one of which may be engaged by a spring-pressed locking pin 43, the construction being such that thel collar maybe turned to raise or lower the presser, andthe pin will hold the presser in any position to which it is adjusted. j The pressers are severally so adjusted that when they are brought down, each presser, beginning with the uppermost right-hand one in Fig. l3, is farther from its respective trap door than isthe succeeding presser. As shown in that figure, the illustrative machine is provided with nine trap doors l0 and with eight 'pressers The ninth trap door', the uppermost left-hand one in Fig. 3, remains open at all times so that whatever lifts reach this trap door will pass through it into the receptacle beneath it. The other trap doors are normally held closed by'their respective catches 13.

As has been stated above, the. operator feeds theblanks one by one to the carrier, and the ycarrier rotates intermittently so as toV position the blanks successively upon the trap doors. While the blanks are stationary upon the trap doors, the head 39 is `brought down. Considering now any given blank, pressure will be transmitted through it to open the trap door if the blank is thick enough. lf it is not thick enough, the presser will have no effect upon the trap door,

and the blank will presently be moved along to the next succeeding trap door. This procedure will continue until the blank reaches that trap door the presser for which is so adjusted that it will press upon the blank and open the ktrap door, whereupon the blank will slide from olf the trap door Vthrough' an opening in the support 7 and into the proper receptaclel 45.

As has been explained, each trap door is pivoted at ll to the supporting member 7 and is held in closed position'by a spring catch 13. In order to swing the trap door upwardly so as to close it after it has been opened, each door has formed upon its under side a projection 47 (Fig. l) which is adapted to be engaged by onel of a series of hooks 49, said hooks being fast to and movable with the reciprocating head 39. Every .timepthe head rises, the .hooks rise with it,

and any trap doors which may have been opened are thereby closed. In order to facilitate the discharge of the blanks from the a kicker 5l fast to a small rock-shaft 53 carried by the frame of thev machine. Also fast to the rock shaft is one end of a lever the otherend of which carries a pin 57 received in a slot 59 in the lower end of a link 6l the'upper end of which is pivoted to the'under side'of the trap door. When, thereforepthe trap door is swung to the open position shown at the left-hand side of Fig l, the kicker 5l is swung outwardly so as to push or sweep the blank from off the trap door. A tension spring .63 Jfastened at its upper end to the under side of the trap door, and at its lower end to a projection on the frame of the machine causes the door to open rapidly when once it is released. i

The reciprocating head 39 has a downwardly projecting hollow stem which is vertically slidable in a smooth bore in the column 5 of the machine Vand carries near its lower end a wrist pin 67 which is engaged by the upper end of a connecting rod 69 the lower end of the rod being carried by a crank on a shaft 7l so that rotation of the shaft causes vertical reciprocation on the head 39. In order to permit adjustment of the head with respect tol the connecting rod so that the head will be brought down to the proper point, the wrist pin'67 is eccentrically carried by astud 73, one end of the stud having fastened to it by a cap screw a circular plate 77 yprovided with holes 79. A locking pin 8l is adapted to be thrust through any one of the holes and into a socket in the stem 65 of the head. The holes 79 are so spaced that adjusting the plate 77 angularly far enough to permit the locking pin 81 to be thrust through an adjacent hole and into its socket in Vthe frame of the machine raises or lowers all of the pressers through the distance of one unit of measurement. For example, in the illustrative machine there are eight pressers. Assuming that the unit is lone iron and that the first presser is set to open its trap door Vwhen a lift of twelve irons or more is encountered and that each succeeding presser is set to be responsive each to a lift of one iron less in thickness than its predecessor, then all lifts of twelve irons or over would bev delivered into the kfirst receptacle, all lifts of eleven irons, or between eleven and twelve irons, into the second receptacle, etc. Roughly speaking the machine, when so adjusted would sort the lifts into eight groups the Vmembers of which ranged from twelve to iive irons in thickness. If now it was desired to change the operation of themacliine so that the members of the eight groups would range in thickness from thirteen to six irons, or from eleven to four irons, it would be necessary merely to adjust-the plate 77. trap doors, each trap door is provided with Aof the bore in the connecting rod 69. To this end a pin 83 is driven through the up-` per portion-of the head and a second pin 85 is-driven through the upright columnot .the frame otthe /m'achine and passes through a slot 87 inthe hollow stem lof the head, Resting upon and straddling the pin 1s a spring-supporting member 89, and rest-ing similarly but in reversed position against the under side of the pin 83 is a second spring-supporting niembe191. A compara tively heavy spring 931isheld between these spring-supporting members'so `as to exert at all times an upward-pull upon the wrist pin 67. With this construction, itithe wrist pin Wears, no lost motion will occur, since thejspring at all times holds the "head in the uppermost position which is possible accord# ing to the position which `the wrist pin 67 may occupy. f

The mechanism for rotating the shaft 71 `continuously and for rotating thepinion 25 which drives the' carrier intermittently, will now be described. Mounted on the base of the machine is a motor 97 upon the shaft of which is mounted ai drive pulley 99. A belt101 runs over `this pulley and over pulley 103 on a shaft 105. vThis shaft has iast to it a worm `107.which` drives a gear 109, said gear 'being keyed to `a Vshaft 111. (ln the end otv the shaft 111 'remote trom the gear 109 is a gear 113 which meshes witha gear 115 on the shaft -71. Consequently, when the motor is running. the shaft 71 is rotating continuously, and' the` head39 is being reciprocated.v rlheqa'ear` 25 which drives the carrier is mountedupon' theupper end of va shaft 117 tothelower end ot which is tast a gear 119, `the last-named gear-'meshing vin turn witha gear '121 on the upper end of'a shaft 123 to the lower `end of which isv fastaworm vgear 125. This worm gear meshes with a worm 127 ywhich iscompelled to rotate with, but is slidable longitudinally upon, lthe shaft 111. The worm ,gear 127 isintenral both with a flange 129 and with. a barrel cam 131; and driven into the flange is a pin 133 which is slidable through a bore in the worm gear 1.09. fVVith this construction it will bev apparent that`l` as long' as the worm gear 109l is rotating, the flange 129, the `wormg-ear '127 andl the barrel cam 131 arev also rotating. Extending into the track otthe barrel cam is a roller 135 which is carriedby thetrame oit the machineand its axis is therefore stationary. U The track of the barrel cam is inclined intwo directions as shown and has the same `throw or pitch as theworm '127 so that the worm 127 is permitted to move tothe lett as viewed in Fig. 1` as long` as `the'barrel cam and the`roller'131 will- \per `mit it.' lVhen, however,4 the barrel cam` has been turned 180, rotationoit itwill compel the worm 127 to travel toward the right.

`Consideringthen merely the movement4 of the worml127`this worm moves-to the lett asviewed in Fig. 1 for one-halt a revolution 'specti've` trap doors.`

and then tothe right `for one-half a revolution." During `its Amovement to the left, it produces no effect upon the worm gear 125 but merely screws through the teeth of that gear. During its `movement to the right, it rotates the worm gear 125101' two reasons; first, becausethe barrel cam is'pushing the worm to the right and causing the worm to 'act as a rack, and second, because `the lworm can no longer move towardfthe lei't and consequently acts in the usual manlner of a worm upon the worm gear 125.

intermittent rotation is ythus imparted to the worm125 during `every other halt-revolution ot the shaft 111. The parts are so constructed and thevarious gears areot such size that each intermittent revolution of the gear; 125 advances' the carrier 19 one step so as to move a` Iqiven; lift from one trap` .door tothe next one.

in the intermittent feed, the head 39 is brought down, and. pressureis transmitted `and continue to do `so until they have reached stations in which their thickness is fsuiiicient to impart pressure to, andthereby open, the particularitrap doors upon which they rest. In connection with this opening 'of the trap doorsythe function ot the spring pins 29 1s to cause the doors to open quickly.

The springs 31 which hack up the pins are not strongenough when compressed to open the doorsy but are lsuiiicient to'give a sharp push to the door it it is opened.

In the illustrative' machine, I nine trap doors are shown, that one inthe upper 'rig-ht hand part of Fig. 3 being the iirst one to which lifts are' presented. The pressers rnayof course he set in any desired manner, but in order to promote clearness, it will be assumed that the first presser is so adjusted that it will impart pressure suiiicient to open the door beneathl it through kany litt the thickness off which `is twelve irons or more but will have no effect upon its door if the thickness of the lift isless than twelve irons.

`l`he second presser is so adjusted that it willV impart pressure to its door suihcient to open it through any lift which is under twelve irons in thickness l but of eleven or `more irons. Similarly, the otherpressers are adjusted so as to respond to lifts of ten irons, nine irons, eight irons, seven irons, six irons and live irons, respectively. Theninth door luring the pauses is always open; and there is no presser associated with it so that all lifts which are less than live irons in thickness slide from off this door into the .receptacle beneath it. It Will be understood, of course, that the number of trap doors andpressers employedand rthe manner in which they are adjusted may (in accordance with rWhich "the blanks are sorted is the thickness dimensionrather than the length or height, kand the doors are opened by pressure exerted upon them rather than upon the catch or upon some other part of the machine, but it should be understood vthat the particular dimension of the blank which Controls the machine and the particular memberto whichy pressure is imparted through the'blank are immaterial so far as the 'broader aspects of the invention are 'concerned.. Y

Having thusldescribed my invention, What- I claim asvneW and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the'United States is:

1. A machine ofthe class described, having in combination, -a support for a blank i normally in position to sustain the blank and vmeans for causing it movable intov a position in Which it ceases 'to sustain the blank to permitthe blank to be discharged from` it, and means controlled by the extent a dimension of the blank for moving the support into the last-named position, said means including a presser, and to be pressed aga-inst the blank. Y

2. A machine of the class described, -havling ,in combination, a member having an opening therein,'a closure for the opening .adapted to have a blank placed upon it, said `closuresrbeingfmovable from closed tol open.

position to permit the blank to pass through the opening, meansy for pressing upon the blankto permit the closure to open, and means for operating thereafter to return the lclosure tok closed position ,preparatory to receiving another blank.

3. A- machine of thel classk described, hav- ,ing incombinatiom-,a table having an opening therein, a closure member for the openingsaid member being adapted to receive 'fa blank, a catch member for holding the closure member in closed position, and means for exerting pressure upon Vthe blankand through itupononeoi" said members tol free the closure member fromv the catch member and vpermit thefbla'nk to pass'through the opening. l

means responsive to the extentof a'dimension of the blank for exerting pressurenupon the blank and -throughit `upon one ofsaid members to free the closure member from the catch member 'and permit the blank .to

pass through the opening.l

` 5. A machine of they class described, hav- .ing in combination, atable having an open-` ing therein, a closure member for the opening, a catch member for holding the closure member in closed position, means for positioning a blank on the closure member, and

means for exerting pressure upon the. blank and through `it upon one of said members -to free the closure member from the catch member and permit the blank to pass through the opening. 6. A machine of the class described', having in combination, a'table having an opening therein, a closure member for` the opening, a catch member for holding the closure member in closed position, means lfor positioning a` blank on the closure member, and means responsive to the extent of Va dimension of the blank for exerting pressure upon the blank and through it upon one of said members to Jfree the closurem'ember from the catch member and permit the blank to-pass through the opening.

7. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having .in it a series of openings each of a size to permit a blank to pass through it, a series. of trap doors one for each opening, a carrier, means for operating the carrier intermitently to position the blanks uponthe trap-doors, a series of pressers, and means for moving ythe pressers toward the blanks during-the pauses in the intermittent fed movements.

8. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having 1an ing in combination, a series yof supports for blanks each normally in Vposition to sustain ka blank and movable independently of the othersto permit the blank 'to be discharged from it, and'means controlled by the yextent of a selected dimension 'of any given blank for causing that 4blank to be discharged, said means comprising a series of pressers, `and means for movingthem toward the blanks Y 10; A machinel of the class described,`having in: combination, a series of supports for blanks each normally inposition to sustain a blank and movable independently ot' the others to permit the blank to be discharged from it, and means controlled by the extent f of the thickness of any given blank for causy lthe selected dimension than is the succeeding presser, and means for operating the pressers.

121., A machine of the class described, h-aving in combination, a series of trap doors each closing an openin-g and adapted to support a blank, a catch for each door the construction being such that pressure exerted along the line of a selecteddimension of thefblank Will cause the door `to be released, a series of pressers 'each adapted to exertpressu-re only upon a thicker blank than is the succeeding presser, and means for operating they pressers.y i

135. A machinel 0f the class described, having incombination, a member having an opening therein of4 a size' to permit a blank to pass `through it, a closure for the openingadapted tobe opened bypressure, means tor positioning a blank on the closure, and a presser movable toward the closurey and the blank into a position at a fixed distan-ce from the closure whereby the extent of a' dimension ofl the blank determines Whether pressure Will be exerted through the blfank upon the closure to open the closure and permit the blank to pass through the' opening;

ist. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having an opening therein of a size to permita blank ing in combination, a member provided with a series of openings each of a size to permit a blankto passthrough it, a series-of closures, one 'for each opening, means for moving blanks successively into 'positions over the closures, and means for pressing the blanks against the closuresl the con-` struction and operation ot the pressing means With respect 'to the closures being such that the extent of a selected dimension of any given blank determines whether the closure against which it restsfwill open to" permit that blank t0 pass through the opening. f

16. A m-achine of the class described, having in combination, a member provided With a seriesot openings each of a size to` permit a blank to pass through it, a series of closures, one :tor each opening, means for moving blanks successively into posi# tions over the closures, and means for pressing the blanks against the closures the construction and operation of the pressing means With respect to the closures being such that the extentlof thickness of any given blank determines Whether the closure Y against Which it rests will open to permit that blank to passl throughr the opening.

17. A machine of the class described, havin combination, a member having a series of openings each of a size topermit'a blank to pass through it, a series of closures one for each opening, means for positioning blanksv successively upon the closures, and 95 means for exerting pressure upon the blanks and through them upon the closures to cause said closures to open and permit the blanks. to pass through the openings.

18. A machine of the class described, hav'- 100 ing in combination, a member having a series of openings -eachof a size to permita blank to pass through it, a series of closures one' for each opening, means for positioning blanks successively upon the closures, and means dependent upon the thickness of the blanks for exerting pressure upon the blanks and through them upon the closures to cause said closures to open and permit theblanks `to ypass through the openings.

19. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having aseriesA of openings each of a size to permit a b'lankto pass through it, a series of closures one for each opening, means for positioningy blanks successively upon vthe (closures, and` means responsive to the extent of a selected dimension of a given blank for exertingy pressure through the blank upon the closure to cause the closure to open.

20. A4 machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having a se? ries of openings each' of a size to permit a blank to pass'through it, a series of closures" one for each opening, means for positioning blanks successively upon the `closures,- and means responsive tojthethickness of a given blank for exertingr pressure through the blank upon the closure to cause the closure to open.y f

2l. A ,machine of the class described, havlng in combination, a member provided with a series of openings each of a size 'to permit a blank to pass through it, a series erative positions near their respective doors vand into inoperative positions farther from theirdoors, each presser When in operative position being 4located farther from its respective door than is the succeeding presser When, in its operative position;

ing in combination, a member having a series of openings each of a size to permit a blank topass through it, a series of closures one for each opening, means for moving .blanks from one closure 'to the succeeding one, a series of -pressers, one foreach closure, and meansfor moving the pressers to- Ward and from the blanks. A

23.'. A machine of the class described, hav- `ingin combination, a member havinga series of openings each of a sizev to permit a blank vto pass through it, a serie-s of closures one. for each opening, means for intermittently moving blanks from one closure to the succeeding one, a series of pressers, one

foreach closure, and means for moving the Y pressers toward and from the vblanks in timed relation to the intermittent feed.

24. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having an opening therein, a closure for the opening adapted to receive a blank,a presser, means for moving the presser in a Xed path to- Ward and from the blank, and means Whereby the presser may be adjusted to change the location of its path. f

`25. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having an opening therein, a closure for the opening adapted vto receive a blank, a presser, means for moving the presser in a fixed path to- Ward and from the blank, and means Whereby the presser may be adjusted to cause it to operate or not to operate as may be desired upon a blank having a given extent of a selected dimension.

26.7151 machine of the class described, having in combination, 'a member having in it upon the trap doors, a series of pressers,l

and means for moving the pressers toward the blanks duringthe pauses in the intermittent'feed movements. t p

27. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member having there- 22. A machine of the class described, havp in a series of openings arranged inv a circular path, a series of trap doors one-fom position blanks successively upon the trap-vl doors, a head, a series ofpressers mounted in the head in register With the-trap doors, each-presser being located at agreater'dis-,y

tance from its respective trap door-thanis the succeeding presser, and means for-reciprocating the head.

28.v A machine of' the class des`cribed,fhav ing iny combination, a trap; door adapted When in closed position tosuppor't a blank and when in open position to permitthe blank to be discharged from olf it,a catch normally holding thedoor in closed position, a kicker for facilitating the discharge.:of the blank, and means operated by the opening of the door for 'operating theikicker. 29. 4A machine of the class described, having in combination, a member havingin, it a series of openings each ofasize-to, permit a blank to passthrough it,g'a series of closures-one for. each opening uponwhicli, blanks may-be positioned, aseries ofpressers movable towardand from the blanks, eac-h presser, when moved-pto.v blank-,engag-,-l ing position, being in a moreadvanced'po sition than theppreceding one so as to .be eective upon a blank .possessing aselected dimension in a lesser'degree than is the preceding presser, and means for simultaneously adjusting allvof the pressers While maintaining their relative positions with re-l spect to one another unchanged. 30. A` machine of theclassvdescribed having, in combination, a--supporthavingjn it a series of openings each of a size ,to permit a blank to pass through it, series of trap doors, one for each opening,iacar-, rier above the ,support and having openings tovreceive blanks, means Ifor actuatingfthe carrier intermittently to position the blanks successively upon.l the ftrapdoors, `a ,series of pressers, and means for causing thepressers to exert pressure upon the blanksdur- 1 ing the pauses in the intermittent-.feedmovements. y -v 31. A machine of the class described :having, in combination, means forsupporting a blank, a presser for engagingthegblank and pressing it against the.supp0rt a; kicken movable to sWeept-he blank-from thesupport, and means set in operationgby move.- ,l ment of the presser-and'responsive lto the thickness of the blank fory causing the kicker,` to operate. 1` ,l 32. A machine ofthe class describedhavl ing, in combination, means forsuppor'ting, a; series of blanks, a plurality of pressers spaced apart along the supporting means, eachpresser being located Vat` a greater distance from the supportin ,means than .is the succeeding presser, a ickerassociated With each presser, and means dependent@ upon the thickness of each blank for determining through the action of the presser Whether the kicker shall operate.

33. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for supporting a series of blanks7 a lurality of pressers located at intervals a ove the supporting means each presser being constructed and arranged to exert pressure upon a blank of greater thickness than is the succeeding presser, means for moving the support to bring the blanks successively beneath the pressers, a kicker associated with each presser, an-d means responsive to the operation of a presser upon a blank for causing the associated kicker to operate.

34. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for supporting a series of blanks, a plurality of pressers located at intervals above the supporting means each presser being constructed and arranged to exert pressure upon a blank oi greater thickness than is the succeeding presseigineans for moving the support to bring the blanks successively beneath the pressers, a kicker associated with each presser, and means responsive to the degree of pressure exerted by a presser upon a blank for causing the associated kicker to operate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM C. STEWART. 

